Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Day 10, Game 3 - Jyouhoku (Kumamoto) v. Mie (Mie)

Mie is the ultimate blue collar team, and perhaps can't be comfortable with a big lead. In their most recent game against regional for Oogaki Nichidai, they broke out to a 4-0 lead, immediately gave up 2 runs afterwards and then grinded the rest of the way. And as mentioned before against Kouryou in the first round they came back from 2-run deficits twice to win 5-4.

Heck, even their pitcher embodies that too. Imai with only 3 K's last game made his defense work. There was nothing easy about the game on either side of the ball. And while it put the team under continuous stress, I don't think they'd have it any other way.

Jyouhoku won a miserable, rain-soaked, muddy game against Toukaidai Bouyou. They certainly took advantage of the field conditions when they placed the suicide squeeze to tie the game and then used that momentum to take the lead. Conditions won't be like that again, so we can't use that game as a complete comparison, despite the fact the offense did manage 10 hits. And we won't know if the conditions affected the pitching either.

Uh oh, 4 pitch walk to Seko. Could he be hurt or that liner affecting him? Suetsugu-kantoku calling for time.

Nakabayashi single though the left side! Yamamoto being sent home and there's no throw! Mie leads 1-0!

Imai with a base hit to left! That's by a diving Oyama! Yuuki has to run it down as Seko and Nakabayashi scores! 3-0 Mie!

And that's it for Yasutake. Perhaps being hit affected him as his timing may have been off after that. #11 Oonishi comes in to take the hill.

He gets Nagano to fly out to left for the 2nd out, but Sada singles through the right side. Imai scores and tumbles but he seems to be ok. 4-0.

Sada then goes and steals 2nd, and on the next pitch, Utsunomiya drives it over Yuuki for a double scoring Sada to make it 5-0.

Nishoka pops out to end the inning, but Mie finds themselves with a big lead!

Top 3rd
Tsujimoto with a ball back up the middle. Utsunomiya gets there, but Tsujimoto hustles up the line and beats the throw.

Yuuki manages to advance the runner with a hard grounder to 1st, but Jyouhoku can't do anything with it thereafter as Rei K's on 3 straight, and Yamaguma flies out to center.

Bottom 3rd
Yamamoto with a single to right to leadoff. He's bunted to 2nd, but can't advance to 3rd when Seko grounds to 3rd.

Nakahara hits grounder to 3rd, but Narahara whiffs on the ball! It goes through his legs and into left allowing Yamamoto to score. 6-0 Mie.

Imai flies out on the next pitch, but Mie tacks on another run.

Top 4th
#14 Makino comes in to hit for Narahara. Hopefully it's not for the error, but I bet it is.

Jyouhoku goes down in order and it really doesn't look that great for them.

Bottom 4th
#18 Tomita comes in for Makino to play 3B.

Nagano with a single to right, and then promptly steals 2nd. Sada with the sac bunt, but Tomita stumbles! But he turns around and fires to 3rd where Nagano overran the ball! He's tagged out, but Sada does advance to 2nd.

But after that he hits Usunomiya and puts himself in a jam after Nishoka hits a slow roller to 1st advancing the runners.

At this point Suetsugu-kantoku sends in ace Morodomi to relieve Oonishi.

And he gets Yamamoto to ground to 3rd to end the inning.

Top 5th
Imai hits Yoza to start the inning and needs a bit of itai spray on his right elbow.

Morodomi with a single splitting the defense into left. Nakamura-kantoku calls for time.

But Imai walks Tsujigami on 4 straight! Manrui for Jyouhoku!

And Yuuki hits a chopper up the middle for a base hit! Everyone moves up a station and its 6-1.

One down now after Rei strikes out.

Yamaguma grounder to 1st... AH!!!!!!!!!

Nishioka fails to field the ball cleanly and it gets past him! Morodomi and Tsujigami both come in to score and it's 6-3!!

Tomita grounder to 2nd, but Sada throws to 2nd instead of tagging the runner! Throw to 1st not in time and Yuuki scores! 6-4! Mistake there by Sada!

Oyama grounds to 2nd to end the inning, but Jyouhoku has closed the gap significantly!

Bottom 5th
Seko draws a one out walk, and promptly takes 2nd! Throw from Yoza... not in time!

With 2 outs, it's funny to see Imai walk to 1st on a 3-1 pitch only to be called back, then Morodomi walk off the mound on the next pitch only to find it's ball 4.

Nagano liner to left for a base hit, but it's right to Oyama and Seko can't go home!

Suetsugu-kanoktu calls for time.

And Sada pops it up! Rei under it, makes the catch, and we hit the break!

Mie had taken a commanding lead, but Mie being Mie, they've let Jyouhoku back into it and they'll have to grind it out again.

Top 6th
Now that the game is close, Imai is comfortable again and retires the side in just 7 pitches. Assist goes to Utsunomiya who runs down a ball up the middle by Yoza and makes the running throw for the out.

Yamamoto drive to left center! Oyama sprinting back, dives.. and makes the catch! Great play by Oyama to end the inning!

Top 7th
I can barely keep up with how fast the innings are going. Trying to catch up again, Imai once again retires the side in 10 pitches!

Bottom 7th
Both teams free swinging at this point. Morodomi also needs just 10 pitches to retire the side.

Top 8th
Yamagami the first batter to take pitches in a while, and draws the leadoff walk!

But instead of bunting, Suetsugu-kantoku sends in #16 Abe to hit for Tomita, which means he's swinging?

He swings on the first pitch but pops it up! Nishoka makes the catch on the line for the first out.

Oyama comebacker to Imai! He goes to 2nd for one, relay throw... not in time! Oyama prevents the double play.

And now he takes off for 2nd! Pitchout! But it's too far out and Nakabayashi 's late with his throw!

Kurumi single to center! Oyama rounding 3rd, throw to Imai and he holds onto it! 6-5!!

Yoza hits back to Imai and he throws to 1st for the 3rd out, but Jyouhoku pulls within 1!

Bottom 8th
#15 Tsutsumi comes in for Abe and takes over at 3B.

Imai grounder to 2nd, but Tsujigami throws it away! Imai hustles to 2nd. He gets to move to 3rd when Nagano hits a hard grounder to Tsujigami and all he can do is block it and go to 1st.

Sada with a fly to left! Oyama with the catch and Imai takes off for home! Throw in... not in time! 7-5 Mie!

Utstunomiya with a scorcher to 3rd! Tsutsumi can't field it and it kicks to foul territory! Utsunomiya takes 2nd and Mie is threatening again as Suetsugu-kantoku calls time.

Nishioka single up the middle! Yuuki is on the ball quickly, and that makes Utsunomiya hold up at 3rd.

But Morodomi can't seem to buy a strike when he wants one and walks Yamamoto on a full count!

Uchida fly ball to right, Kurumi running towards the foul pole, still running.... Makes the catch at the padding! 3 out! He saves several runs, but they've got one more to make up.

Top 9th
Morodomi turns around in frustration after he strikes out looking on a pitch on the outer half of the plate.

Tsujigami flies out on the next pitch and they're down to their final out.

Yuuki falling behind 1-2, fouls one off, then another, then checks his swing.. and fouls off another.

But the war is lost as Yuuki chops one to short. Utsunomiya fires to 1st and Mie holds on (what's new?) to win 7-5!

Mie has another one of their type of games. Despite taking a big lead, they for some reason or another let their opponent back in the game. And yet when they do that, they tend to play better. Go figure.

Give credit to Jyouhoku for not giving up. Mie let them back into the game, they took it and almost found their way back to level. They fell short, but shouldn't be disappointed with their play.